New Delhi: As is the fad these days, we asked Google ‘one word to use for a person who wants to impose himself and his ideas’ and pat came the reply, ‘you may find a new addition to the dictionary, saying that such a person is Trumpish or Trumplike! The US president is no newcomer to making startling declarations and surprise announcements but there are a few which weigh more than others; some that may actually prove to be costly in the literal sense. Take for instance his absolute insistence on using the US military flights to send back illegal immigrants to their home country. The flights cost a bomb, the conditions inside are unfavourable for passengers, the hours are long and draining, there is a risk of malfunction… the list of negatives are plenty. But for Trump, it is the messaging that matters and he is going to go to any length to ensure that it is received as was intended.

It is this act of sheer folly which has resulted in the US sending back 205 illegal Indian immigrants on a US military flight to Amritsar, Punjab, today. All we know till now is that the passengers were verified before being sent back, their condition inside the flight, or their medical status still remains a mystery. However, going by similar such deportations made by the US in the past weeks, to Colombia and Brazil, it won’t be wrong for us to assume the worst for our Indian passengers as well.

However, we will reserve our pithy comments on the way the Indian deportees were ferried from the US, for later. We wish to deal with the expense that the US has willingly undertaken for this exercise. And whether such a huge cost, even thought the States can afford to spend it, is worth the........

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